How a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Help You with Newborn Injuries

The birth of a newborn is a blissful moment for the new parents and also for friends and family. While medical science has come quite a long way to ensure safe and easy delivery, there are instances of birth injuries even to this day. Even in the US, at least 2% of the newborns are affected by birth injuries that cannot be attributed to congenital conditions.

These injuries in the newborns usually occur from a birth trauma that is caused due to negligence in handling the instruments, putting inadequate pressure and various such lapses.

Birth injuries are common in situations where the baby is prematurely delivered, the baby weighs too much or there is a prolonged labor.

However, if your newborn or the newborn of anyone you know has suffered such injuries, it is necessary to determine the cause. If there is a case of negligence then it is imperative to consult and seek the assistance of a medical malpractice lawyer.

Before that, here is a list of some of the common injuries in newborns that you should be aware of:

Caput Succedaneum – This is a condition in which the baby’s scalp swells fast right after the delivery. If too much pressure was exerted from the mother’s uterus or vagina during delivery it could cause this injury. This is a common occurrence in cases where a difficult labour is involved. The lack of protection of the baby’s head or the use of vacuum extraction in protracted delivery is a major instance of negligence responsible for this particular type of injury.

Bell’s Palsy – Bell’s Palsy is a kind of facial paralysis that newborns develop when their facial nerve is damaged in the passage through the birth canal. Bell’s Palsy improves gradually and naturally but if it does not, the newborn might require a surgery.

Bell’s Palsy, in many cases, is also the result of the use of forceps during delivery. You can ask the medical malpractice lawyers to consider the case and find out if you are eligible for claiming compensation for the pain and suffering of your infant.

Brachial Plexus Injury – Brachial Plexus Injury is a severe birth injury that can even damage the nerves of your baby permanently. Brachial Plexus is basically the network of nerves that connect the infant’s spinal cord to his/her arms and hands. The injury, once again, results from a kind of medical negligence or the lack of preparation during the birth process.

Brachial Plexus Injury typically occurs when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck in the birth canal and one of his/her arms is tugged hard to help extract the newborn. Treatment of this injury can be quite costly and therefore, claiming compensation with the help of malpractice lawyers is imperative for the victim.

Oxygen Deprivation – A serious birth injury that has the potential of causing permanent damage to the baby’s brain is commonly referred to as oxygen deprivation or anoxia. It occurs when, during the birth, the placenta separates prematurely or the umbilical cord gets entangled around the newborn’s neck. Cerebral palsy in babies is usually the result of this injury during birth.

There are various other types of birth injuries that can cause uncalled for pain and suffering for your newborn. Along trauma that you and your newborn have gone through there’s also a lot of financial stress.

The Law Offices of Alvin F. de Levie can help you with your medical malpractice and birth injury case. Talk to one of our birth injury lawyers at 844-777-2529 and make sure that you get the justice that you deserve.